


Black and Blue

by Fandomstwspn (spn4ever)



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Child Abuse, F/M, No Gods, im making up the story as i go really, more tags as it gets updated
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-22
Updated: 2015-09-27
Packaged: 2018-04-05 16:42:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4187247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spn4ever/pseuds/Fandomstwspn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nico di Angelo wasn't popular at his school. Actually, he was just the opposite. Picked on at school and abused by his step-father at home. But when he's paired up with the new girl for a project, and things at home get worse, will he be able to make it through with the help of his two friends?.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm literally making this up as I go. Three chapters have already been written out, but the next ones are still to be created, unfortunately.

Walking down the street with music in your ears and feeling like you`re in a music video. Well, not exactly. For Nico di Angelo, it was a reminder that he had no friends, no life, not even a decent family. Sure, he had his uncle. And that would've been great if he wasn't 84 years old, was suffering from lung cancer, and lived nowhere near Nico.

Nico`s mother, father and sister were dead and he had never heard of any cousins or relatives he could go to instead of his retched step-father. Just thinking about him made Nico`s arm throb in pain and he remembered what had happened less than an hour ago in his so-called home.

Flashback ~

Nico took a deep breath and started toward the dark brown house that was his home. It looked like any other house on the block. Dark, yet undecidedly homely.

Come on, di Angelo. Man up, he thought to himself.

He sighed deeply, reached out and inserted the small key into the door. Once it was unlocked, he swung it open and stepped into the main hall. Almost immediately Nico was overwhelmed by the staggering smell of alcohol and smoke. He swallowed nervously. His step-father would surely punish him for being this late after school. Nico shivered at the thought.

Nico walked silently to the kitchen, and nearly threw up at the sight before him. It was his step-father, Ralph, passed out in a chair with four beer bottles littered around him. Lying by his hand was a used cigarette.

Nico set down his backpack and started toward the stairs, a small flicker of relief sprouting inside him. But that was quickly diminished when Ralph stirred, making Nico`s heart beat so fast and loud that Nico was sure that it was the thing that had awoken his step-father.

"Hey," Ralph`s voice was raspy and slurred. "Hey, kid. You finally home?" he smirked tiredly at Nico while he got up, stumbling his way over to him. Nico was still turned away from his step-father.

"Hey!" Ralph barked, "Look at me when I'm talking to you!" he seized a tuft of Nico`s hair and spun him around roughly. Nico gasped as he felt Ralph`s fist connect with his stomach and he doubled over in pain, groaning.

"Well? That enough for you?" Nico could hear the cruelness in his voice. He knew Ralph could do much worse yet he kept his mouth shut, wanting to remain defiant.

When Nico didn't answer, Ralph grabbed the collar of his shirt and hauled him up so that they were face to face. Then he promptly punched Nico twice, in his eye and his jaw. His step-father pushed him away, and Nico was so blinded by the pain that he collapsed the moment his legs tried to take his weight.

Ralph huffed in disgust. "Pathetic," he muttered. He then started to kick Nico in the ribs… Once… Twice… Nico stopped yelling just long enough to shout to his step-father.

"Stop! I- I`m sorry!" he hated himself for giving in but he just couldn't take it, "I- I`m sorry for being late! It won`t happen again," he croaked out. His throat was dry from the screaming.

Nico looked up from the ground just in time to see Ralph`s ugly shoe stomp down on his arm. Nico yelped, which unfortunately led to more screaming.

"No! Please, no!" he begged, knowing it was useless.

"You've gotta do better than that!" Ralph laughed as if he was watching a comedy and watching his step-son suffer from his own doing.

"Please!" Nico yelled so loud that he felt like he would never speak again.

His step-father finally released his arm and Nico cradled it to his chest. He looked up, expecting more, but Ralph seemed to have finished.

As he stalked away, Nico heard him growl under his breath, "Worthless."

Flashback end ~

After all that, Nico had gathered up a backpack full of necessities and headed off to wander the streets.

It was dark now. The streetlights cast an ominous glow over the sidewalk. It was near midnight, no one was out, although a few cars darted through the cold spring night.

Nico had his injured arm pressed, unmoving, to his side. He walked slowly and carefully with a slight limp. Even though he had left the house, he still felt trapped as if his step-father would leap out of a dark alley and-…

No. Nico couldn't afford to think like that. His step-father probably didn't even care that he had gone. He was most likely waiting for Nico to come home so he could beat him up again.

Nico set his jaw and narrowed his eyes. He wouldn't let Ralph do that to him.

So, Nico had two options. One, he goes to the police and suffers Ralph`s wrath. Or two, he goes to his (only) friend`s house and stay for a couple days. Nico chose the latter.

Of course Nico didn't know why he even thought about his choices. He had to choose one or the other every time he left his home after a beating. And he always chose his friend over the police.

So it was settled. Nico quickened his pace, a hop in his step because of his limp. He set off in direction of the house he goes to when he needs help.

The house of the only people who knew about his step-father.

The house of the people he can trust to not call the police.

The house of Percy Jackson.


	2. Chapter 2

The attack came unexpectedly.

One second Nico was hobbling down the street, the next he was being jostled down to the ground.

His head hit the concrete with a thud and his assaulter grasped his hands, pinning them hard to the sidewalk. His current injuries burned and almost immediately Nico's mind was clouded with the thought of his step-father, as if he were the one hurting him rather than this complete stranger.

The image of Ralph dulled Nico's instincts. He lay there like an idiot as the man ripped open his bag and snatched some cash and a bottle of water. He kept his knee pressed to Nico's back, preventing him from running off. The man must have had experience because he kept his face from Nico's line of vision perfectly.

Time passed. Nico didn't know how long, but he lay quiet as the outsider rummaged through his things. His ADHD brain started to take in little things. The man was bulky, probably 25 to 30 years old. Homeless, Nico guessed, because he could hear the crinkle of chip bags and the splash of water being moved roughly. The crook most likely had a bag or large coat where he was storing all these things. He had a deep voice, known because he grunted occasionally.

Nico's whole body felt immobilized. His ribs ached from being held to the ground. He was relieved when the man finally took some weight off from Nico's back. As he heard receding footsteps, he raised his head not an inch before having it smashed down to the pavement again.

An unknown second man (Nico could tell because this man was a tad weaker than the other) had his hand behind Nico's neck and was so close, he could hear his breath.

"Nothing," this man's voice was lighter yet eerie, "nothing happened. Got it?"

Nico gave a minuscule nod and the thief jumped off him and took off into the darkness.

***  
Lying there. Motionless. Nico did a full-body check. The way he does after one of Ralph's beatings. There was a throbbing ache on the left side of his head and his left ankle felt like someone had hacked on it with an axe.

Okay, maybe he was over exaggerating. His ankle was probably badly bruised, but nothing serious. Nico propped himself up on his elbows and gingerly touched his face. Then bringing his hand back he saw that there was no blood, but the side of his jaw felt unnaturally raw.

Steeling himself against the ground, Nico pushed himself to all fours... then slammed back down, unable to keep upright on his weakened arms.

As a frustrated growl escaped him, loud in the silent night, Nico suddenly let out a gasp. Something very sharp was threatening to slice through the skin just below his collarbone and Nico rolled onto his back to avoid it.

Gasping in lungfuls of the cool air, Nico rested his head gently down and looked straight up. Right into the blinding streetlight.

"Holy-..." squeezing his dark eyes shut, Nico snapped his head to the side and cut off abruptly.

Glass. There was glass littered around the patch of ground where he had been. One of the larger pieces was tainted with red.

And that was when the pain kicked in.


	3. Chapter 3

He managed to get up, that much he remembers. The next thing he knows, he's a block away from Percy's house. He's pressing his uninjured hand against his chest, trying to stop the blood flow from the large wound. Nico's hoping he hasn't lost that much blood, but he can already feel the affects of blood loss. His eyes are slowly, but steadily, losing focus and he's feeling dizzier with each step.

The night had gotten freezing a while ago. Nico hardly noticed due to the pain in his whole body. His teeth were chattering, which was starting to give him a headache. Honestly, how could the night get any worse?

Two knocks was all it took. Nico knew he looked horrible, but he couldn't find it in him to care when the door swung open. Paul Blofis stood, disheveled in the doorway, obviously fresh out of bed. Of course, he knew better than to ignore a middle-of-the-night-knock for the simple reason that it was probably Nico looking for help. Paul, like always, stood aside and yelled for Sally to bring the first-aid kit.

Nico took a step into the apartment and promptly collapsed with exhaustion. Paul grabbed him underneath his shoulders, sleepiness forgotten, and dragged him to the couch. Sally was running from the hall, a wide-eyed Percy tailing her. She clutched the first-aid kit and set it down on the coffee table. Nico heard Paul say something about getting ready for work before he walked away. He knew that Paul disagreed with this arrangement, he thought that they should call the police on Ralph. And he would have done so himself, if it wasn't for Nico always begging him not to.

"Nico, what happened?" Sally took in all of his injuries, "Ralph didn't do all of this, did he?" she stared at him with an expression that was bordering on horrified. Nico tried to take a deep breath to answer her, but the cut on his chest was making it difficult to do so. Instead, he looked past Sally to Percy and tried to convey the message with his eyes. Percy seemed to understand.

"Mom, maybe we should take care of that first," he said, pointing to the still bleeding wound. Sally nodded her agreement and pressed gauze from the kit onto it to stop the bleeding. She stuck medical tape to it to keep it in place and took Nico's uninjured hand and placed it there.

"Keep pressure on this," she instructed.

Percy was watching from a distance, but interjected once the gauze was on there, "Mom, could I talk to Nico alone for a while?"

Sally glanced at him, and seemed to understand. She nodded once and stood up to leave.

Once his mother was gone, Percy took her place next to Nico on the couch, "So, you gonna tell me what happened?"

When Nico didn't say anything, Percy continued with a question that he would rather have not asked, "You-...you didn't... do this to yourself, did you?" he asked, referring to the bleeding gash on Nico's chest.

Nico let out a tiny sigh, and Percy unfortunately took it the wrong way, " Nico, how could you do this?!" Percy's loud tone shocked Nico into movement. He reached his arm up in an attempt to calm Percy down, realizing too late that it was his injured wrist. Nico let loose a strangled cry of pain and heaved in a deep breath, which jostled the gauze on his chest. The combined pain of his wrist and chest was too much, he heard Percy yell for Sally before he succumbed to darkness.

Nico awoke in a bedroom. A quick glance around confirmed that it was Percy's. He cataloged his injuries. His wrist was wrapped and his chest bandaged. He was wearing one of Percy's T-shirts. The sun was shining through the window making the room bright and slightly orange so it was probably mid afternoon. He had missed a whole day of school. Ralph will be pissed. Nico groaned and thought it might be best to get home now instead of waiting and making it worse. He started to get out of bed, but stopped when he heard someone coming to the door. Nico knew that they wouldn't approve of him going home just yet, so he quickly lay back down just as the door opened. Percy appeared with a bottle of water and offered it to him before sitting in a chair across from the bed.

After he took a drink of water, Nico said, "Thanks,"

Percy nodded, "So... what really happened?"

Nico gave him the shortened version, "The usual at home, then on my way here I got jumped,"

Percy bristled at the mention of his home, then he was just pissed, "you got jumped? By who? Nico, you should report this!"

Nico gave a solemn laugh, "Right, but then I'd have to come up with a way to explain this," he held up his wrapped wrist.

Percy frowned then shrugged, "Or you could just tell the truth," he suggested.

Nico stared at him, doubtful.

"Or not," Percy said wistfully, "I still think you should-"

"It doesn't matter," Nico interrupted, "I'll go to school tomorrow and I'll forget all this,"

Percy scoffed, "Go to school? And then what? Go home? This will all just happen again, you know that. It'll happen if you're late, or if you're being too loud, or, hell, if you're being too quiet-"

"Perce. I get it. But I'm fine, and I'll go to school and I'll go home and I'll lay low,"

"But-"

"Percy, I'm fine,"

Percy really hated Nico's definition of 'fine'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if you want me to continue by leaving a comment ? :)


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